Plain White Woman
by fourtyfor
Summary: Things have changed. He is alone.
1. Chapter 1

_I want to make this a three/four chapter story. Would you read?_

 _)()()(_

My day is always the same. Never changes.

But I like it that way.

Sort of.

Right now I think it's the best I can get.

I wake up and I eat breakfast. Darry always pushes me to eat more than I want to but I guess that's his job. Taking care of me.

It's been his job since the accident.

And it will stay his job if he wants to keep me.

Then I go for a run. I'm never allowed to leave town. Ever. And I can't go to Buck's or Tim Shepard's house.

Darry's rules.

I follow them.

Sometimes, if it's a Tuesday or a Thursday, I pass the DX and say hi to Soda.

I love Soda more than I have ever loved anyone.

But if it's any other day than Tuesday or Thursday, I'm not allowed to see Soda. Darry tells me it's because he's busy.

That makes me sad.

Because someday I know I'll be busy like that too.

I don't want to be, though.

I just want to live this same day with the same routine over and over again.

Then, regardless of it being a Tuesday or a Thursday or a Wednesday or a Friday, I walk around town with Two-Bit.

Sometimes we head to the movies. Sometimes the Dingo.

It's always fun. Maybe the most fun part of my entire day.

But we always have to be home by 5:00 sharp.

Once I asked Darry why curfew is so early now. It never used to be like this.

He only gave me a weird look, leaned in close and whispered "Things are different now, Ponyboy." He sounded much more gentle than he ever has.

I don't question him anymore.

But things _are_ different.

Soda acts weird. He never leaves his room for dinner.

Or ever.

He doesn't talk to me either.

Even when I visit him at the DX he stays silent.

I don't think he knows I'm here.

The gang never visits. Not like they used to. I only see Steve at the DX and Two-Bit when we're out at a movie.

The only one who is there for me to talk to once I get home is Darry.

But even he has changed.

He's calmer. Sometimes I find him hugging me and rocking me and telling me everything will be alright.

Even when I haven't been crying.

But I think if anyone has changed the most out of all of us, it's me. Because sometimes I don't know where I am.

And I know for a fact that it's never a dream.

The times where I don't know where I am are scary. I'm all alone in a plain white room. Even the bed sheets underneath me are plain white.

There's a woman there too. She matches the room. Always dressing in white.

She hugs me close to her and I cry.

I cry for Darry and Soda and the gang. I say to the Plain White Woman, "I want my brothers. Where are my brothers."

She never tells me where they go. Instead she whispers "Shhh. They aren't here, Pony. Not here. But I am."

And I always say the same thing back.

"I want them. My brothers. I want them."

And she always says the same thing too.

"Your brothers can't help you get better. But I can."

 _)()()(_

 _Would you read another 3 or 4 chapters?_

 _Please review and let me know._


	2. Chapter 2

)()()(

"Execution."

The Plain White Woman is standing before The Man.

 _Man,_ that is, with a capital _M._

He runs the Plain White and everyone in it.

Only he is not Plain White.

He is Pitch Black.

"Which one?"

The Man isn't so used to visitors.

The Plain White Woman slaps the files down in front of him.

They belong to Ponyboy Curtis.

"Curtis. Room 265."

The Man takes a moment of thumbing through the files.

He sees the records that belong to the boy. Curtis.

He smirks to himself. That boy is an interesting case.

The hallucinations...the screaming...asking, no, begging for his brothers…

Yes, he is a fun one.

He runs his fingers over the papers, smiling to himself.

He hands his files back to the Plain White Woman. She looks at The Man expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"Give him three days" says The Man. "Then we see."

…

I don't know where I am again.

Actually it has happened so many times that I do.

I know I am in the Plain White.

The matter is I just don't want to be here.

The Plain White Woman is there. She holds me tight to her and I cry while she rocks me.

Oh, how I cry.

She had taken me away again, hadn't she?

"My brothers. I want my brothers."

"Shhh."

"You know where they are."

"Shhh."

"Tell me."

"I am forbidden."

I want to scream. I rip myself away from the Plain White Woman.

I still sob. "I hate you," I choke. "You know where they are but you won't tell me."

"I'm so sorry."

 _I'm sorry._

 _Sorry._

 _S_

 _O_

 _R_

 _R_

 _Y_

I have heard that word one too many times, in too many different circumstances.

I hate it to hell.

I snap.

" _Tell me where my brothers are!"_ I scream. It seems that I rattle the Plain White.

The Plain White Woman's face twists up with anger and I know that this time I've gone too far.

She holds tightly on my wrists as they bring in the needles. I always hate the needles.

"My brothers," I wail. "Darry and Soda…"

She smiles at me. Her grin is sickly sweet.

"It's ok." she lies. "It's all going to be ok.."

One jab of the needle and my brothers will come back.

…

And sure enough they do.

But they are not the brothers that I know.

I see Darry first. Still changed. Still abnormal.

He cups his hands around my face. They're warm from holding onto the pot he had been cooking in.

Darry never cooks.

"You're late," he says. I see the worry lines on his skin. "You know damn well you're supposed to be home by 5:00."

I glance at the clock on the wall.

It's 5:30.

"I'm not that late" I argue.

Darry just sighs. A token Darry move normally.

Only this sigh is not annoyed as it would be under normal circumstances.

Darry is just tired.

He should be yelling. Yelling so loud that the frames on the wall shake. Then Soda would come stomping out of his room and tell us both to shut up.

Only none of that happens anymore.

"Go see Soda" Darry instructs. "He's been worried."

I nod.

But Soda is never worried about me anymore.

Everything is different. Home is not home anymore.

Sometimes when I'm here I long to go back to the Plain White.

)()()(

 _Yes, a very fast update. Your reviews were fantastic...but don't thank me. Just review again. ;)_


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